Open Letter to the Home Office

British Dharmic Community's Open Letter to the Home Office to proscribe Hizbul Mujahideen

13th July 2018

Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP

Sec. of State for the Home Dept
Home Office
Direct Communications Unit
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF

Dear Home Secretary,
Re: Hizbul Mujahideen

We the undersigned urge the British Government to proscribe Hizbul Mujahideen as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000 with immediate effect.

We are concerned to learn that there is considerable support for the Hizbul Mujahideen in the U.K. which is absolutely in contradiction of the criminal laws and the country’s PREVENT strategy.

Supporters of Hizbul Mujahideen in the U.K. are now blatantly manifesting their support for Hizbul Mujahideen by holding rallies in the streets of Britain to mark the ‘Martyrdom’ of the members of Hizbul Mujahideen thus confirming their support for terrorist activities. Would Her Majesty’s Govt. be accommodating should rallies be proposed to glorify the killers of Lee Rigby? If not, why are supporters of Hizbul Mujahideen able to hold rallies in praise of Burhan Wani?

Last year the supporters of Hizbul Mujahideen held rallies to mark the ‘Martyrdom’ of Burhan Wani who massacred and maimed people as consequence of his terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir. Wani together with Hizbul Mujahideen was working with and Hizbul Mujahideen continue to work with Saeed Hafiz who masterminded the 26/11/2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. He is wanted by the USA authorities.

In August 2017, the United States designated Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest armed group in Indian-administered Kashmir, as a “foreign terrorist” organisation, imposing sanctions on it including the freezing of assets it may hold in the US. Its proscription as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council has already elicited the support of HMG and enjoyed unanimous support and was only prevented by the exercise of a veto by China.

The European Union (EU), already in 2005, added the Hizbul Mujahideen to its list of banned terror groups. This decision was taken by the EU Council of Ministers of all (then) 25 member states. It meant that the group’s financial assets in the EU were frozen and the UK also complied with the collective decision.

Many civilians and Indian security personnel have been murdered by Hizbul Mjahideen and its terror activities. Allowing the celebration of the death of one of Hizbul’s commanders in Britain, which is in the forefront of combating terrorism globally, is deeply offensive to Indian and British people. You will also be aware of the concern expressed in 2017 by the Indian High Commissioner to the UK and the threat it posed to Indo-British relations, according to him.

We are sure that provocative public rallies prompt the raising of funds for the terror organisation that cannot always be identified and interdicted by the authorities despite the existing EU-wide ban. There is also a connection between the spate of terrorist activities on British soil and the ideological motivation provided to potential terrorists by allowing the celebration of the death of a terrorist as laudable martyrdom.

We remind you that there was a direct connection, which has since been recognised, between the official acquiescence to the raising of funds for the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and the spawning of conditions for Islamic militancy subsequently in the UK. It is this militancy that has constituted the bedrock of incitement to carry out acts of terror against innocent British people.

We urge you in the security interests of this country and maintaining a high level of community cohesion to act and proscribe the terrorist organisation, Hizbul Mujahideen and end the tragic anomaly of allowing the celebration of the death of a known terrorist and the dire consequences that it provokes.